Audio Production MA

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UKPASS code: 035637 | Institution code: W50 | Attendance mode: Full-time

Start: 16 September 2013
Duration: 1 year

Campus: Harrow

School: School of Media, Arts and Design

All prices quoted are for the current academic year only. Alumni discount.

Home/EU: £11,395.00

Overseas: £11,395.00

Alternative attendance modes for this course

Courses start in September, unless otherwise stated

Part-time day: Audio Production MA

View course-specific entry requirements

You will need to have a portfolio of audio and/or audiovisual production works, which demonstrates your ability to work in audio at a high level. You should be able to discuss how the course enables you to build towards a new area of creative activity and employment. A good first degree is desirable, although applicants with strong portfolio and professional industry experience will be considered.

View standard entry requirements

This well-established Masters is the world-leading course in audio production, highly regarded both nationally and internationally. It is accredited by the leading industry bodies, including APRS, and is the JAMES National Regional Centre London, an Apple-accredited training centre and a Skillset Media Academy. The course is designed to meet and exceed professional standards, and will enable you to reach the highest level in the creative use of audio, and explore how creative ideas and new technologies can be combined, enhanced and redefined.

As the major media education site in Europe, the University’s Harrow Campus includes 12 professional recording studios (three surround studios), a new teaching recording studio, Music Lab and an array of TV, post-production, radio, film and multimedia facilities built and equipped to the highest standards.

Course content

This innovative course develops your creative abilities in audio across music production, sound design, radio, TV, film and multimedia, all supported by a robust understanding of the technologies involved. You will be able to explore and expand as a creative artist while achieving control and experience of professional audio environment.

Music Production and Cultural Theory

This module will develop your professional practice of the creative industries through in-depth understanding of both practical and theoretical aspects of music recording and production processes. Including mixing, remixing and mastering in stereo and surround.

Audio Visual Production and Cultural Theory

Focusing on the creative applications of technology, theories and professional production practices this module will develop into a study brief incorporating the construction of a radio drama, radio programme, film trailer assembly and surround mix. It will also include a substantial piece of sound-to-picture work, including location recording, music and audio post for film and broadcast media.

Programming and Audio Design for Animation

You will examine in detail the digital manipulation of audio data, location recording and Foley, the creation of sound libraries, and sound design for animation, enabling you to produce work to industry standards.

Applied Innovation and Interactive Design

This module will introduce you to associated programming packages for multimedia applications. You will explore the innovative interface design techniques, and work on developing sound design for interactive media, including small apps and computer games.

Entrepreneurship and Finance for Creative Industries

Supporting you in your chosen area of business, this module is taught with students from the Music Business Management MA. The module will offer you the opportunity to develop team practice while acquiring theoretical and practical knowledge of media economics, financial management and entrepreneurship in the creative industries.

The Masters Stage

The Audio Production Project is your opportunity to negotiate a large-scale, self-determined, original and inventive project, based upon several areas explored in the taught stage of the course.

Associated careers

Possible careers include ADR, audio and audio-visual post-production specialist, audio and audio-visual producer, composer, education, Foley artist, interactive design teams, location recordist, programmer, radio production, sound designer, and sound engineer.

Related courses

Music Business Management MA

Key staff

Matej Dimlic

Course Leader

Matej has extensive academic and professional experience in several media disciplines, and his credits include Absolute Beginners Series (director, producer), Eastern Biological’s mixed media performance The Sound (composer, director, performer), The Captive (music and sound design). In addition to leading Audio Visual Production, Sound Design for Animation and Audio Production Project on the Audio Production MA, Matej also leads Documentary Film and Contemporary World Cinema modules on the Film & TV MA, and lectures Narrative Forms on the Screenwriting and Producing MA course. He participates at national and international conferences, and in his research investigates the impact of sound and music on structure and the perception of the visual narrative. He is currently working on development of a large-scale interactive audio installation project for various sites around London.

Mike Exarchos

Senior Lecturer in Music

Mike is teaching Music Production, Audio Synthesis, and Music Technology for Live Performance, across the MA Audio Production, BA Commercial Music and BMus Commercial Music Performance courses, whilst holding an External Examiner position for the University of Wales. He also represented his country of origin in 2011's Eurovision Song Contest, securing 7th place. His recording work as Stereo Mike currently spans three critically acclaimed personal albums, while he independently produces new and established acts for labels such as Sony Music, Universal and Warner. As an artist, Mike has had five VMA nominations for Best Hip-Hop Video (2006/2008/2009), Best Video of the Year (2008) and Best Male Artist (2009), and in 2008 he was nominated for MTV Europe’s Favourite Act. When he is not producing records or performing live, he composes avant-garde electronica and electro-acoustic pieces. In his PhD research entitled: "Sound Art and the Image”, (Sonic Arts Centre, Middlesex University), Mike explores the relationship between sonic and visual content towards a compositional methodology for the sonic artist working with visual media. He has also worked as an Apple Distinguished Professional and is currently a Logic Pro Certified Trainer. His publications have included articles for Sound On Sound and, this year, he has been invited to perform at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music, Film and Interactive festival.

Savraj Matharu

Senior Lecturer

Savraj teaches across the range of courses in Schools of Media, Arts & Design and Computer Science. He has extensive academic and professional expertise in interactive multimedia and is working internationally on developing of branding and USPs for enterprises through the use of technology, sound and interactive media. Savraj is an active contributor to a series of monthly publications, a beta tester for Adobe, and an Apple certified Developer. Savraj works alongside the audio industry in developing new media and engaging interactive media rich applications, from mobile apps, e-driven games to Multimedia Web Apps. Clients include Channel 4, BBC, RWP Ron Winter Productions, Deathrow Records, DJ Luck & MC Neat, So Solid Crew, EMI France and Jonathan Ross. He is currently working on development of a series of sound driven applications within the entertainment and educational sector in close consultation with Apple.

Length of course

One-year, full-time or two-year, part-time

Location

Harrow

The First of its kind in the UK, MA Audio Production is the world-leading course in audio production, highly regarded both nationally and internationally and accredited by the leading industry bodies. Course reputation is best reflected in the continuing success of its graduates who successfully meet and exceed professional industry standards, repeatedly reaching the highest level of creative use of audio in music and audiovisual production, enhancing and redefining existing industry practice.

Graduates succeed in wide range of audio and audio related careers, working as music producers, executive producers, sound designers, location recordists, Foley artists, programmers, ADR, audio, audio-visual post-production for radio, TV, film and interactive media specialists, composers, educators, recording artists and sound engineers.

The MA Audio Production continues to work right across the media industry, nationally and internationally.

Below are only few examples from our long history of alumni success:

Audio Production student at work

Nick Howes, European Development Manager, Yamaha
Sam Sutton, Composer and Company Director, Soundbite Music
Alex Sidiropoulos Foley Artist/Editor, Elizabeth I, TV Drama Series
Anna Schulte A&R, Mute Records
Harash Patel Sound Recording and Audio Post., Features: The Merchant of Venice, Goodbye to the Normals, Ladies in Lavender, Tug
Jin Suk Choi, Composer Producer, Lecturer at Seoul University
Owen Thomas, 2xBAFTA Award Winner, Best TV Sound
Sam Miller, Recording Engineer, Olympic Studios
Owain Rich, Studio Manager, BBC World Service Radio 5 Live
Belle Adkins, Producer, Granada TV
Julian Cox Composer, Wifeswap, Faking it, Location, Location, Location, Masters and Servants
Owen Rich, Studio Manager, BBC World Service Radio 5 Live
Edwin Pfanzagi-Cardone, Tonmister Salzburg, Festival Hall
Joanna Orland, Sound Designer Criterion/ EA games, Winner Best Sound Design 2005
Ben Medcalf, AKA The Rogue Element, Winner Best Dance Producer 2007
Sara-Beth West, Producer for John Landecker, 94.7FM Chicago’s WZZN
David Greaves, Operations Manager, Disney International, Pinewood/Shepperton Studios
Marcelo Nahuz-D’oliveira, Audio Research and Development, Apple Macintosh UK, Portugal
Ainhoa Acosta Creative Executive, BBC Global News
Mike Exarchos, Recording Artist, EMI Senior Lecturer UOW
Kahra Scott-James, Post production Studios, Auckland, New Zealand
Zhe Whu, Post Production Sound, Shanghai Film Studios
Ben And Julien Monie, Post-production London Company, Directors JBM, Dubai Entertainments Group

Employability

At Westminster, we have always believed that your University experience should be designed to enhance your professional life.We place as much emphasis on gaining skills relevant to the workplace as on learning the academic discipline that you are studying.

Obtaining a placement, part-time or vacation job while you study will provide you with extra cash and help you demonstrate that you have the skills employers are looking for.

In London, there is a plentiful supply of part-time work - most students at the University of Westminster work part-time (or full-time during vacations) to help support their studies.

Visit the employability section on our site

Career Development Centre

Our Career Development Centre can help and support you throughout your study and after graduation. You can use our comprehensive Online Vacancy Service to find part-time, placement, voluntary and graduate opportunities.

Our website provides comprehensive information covering topics such as events, job searching, CVs and applications. We organise presentations, networking events with employers, professional bodies, alumni and other organisations to help you with your career planning.

Our careers consultants are experienced personal development trainers and offer a range of self-development workshops to improve your job seeking strategies, to enhance self-confidence and provide self-marketing techniques.

We offer support for students and recent graduates to obtain volunteer placements and also for those interested in developing their enterprise skills.

We can help you to:

Find part-time / vacation, placement and graduate jobs, including voluntary experience
Explore how to develop the skills that employers are looking for
Plan your career development
Identify your career options
Market yourself effectively in CVs, application forms and interviews.

Find out more about the Career Development Centre

Study in the city

If you study at the University of Westminster, everything that London has to offer is on your doorstep.

Our central London campuses are ideally located for the city's fantastic learning institutions including libraries, archives and museums, as well as opportunities for shopping, eating out, enjoying London's nightlife or just simply relaxing.

Accommodation

After choosing your course, one of your biggest decisions will be where to live, and we aim to make that choice as easy as possible. Whether you want to apply for our Halls of Residence or live in private housing, we can help you to find the right accommodation.

Fees, funding, bursaries and scholarships

In recent years the University of Westminster's scholarship scheme has been the largest university scholarships scheme in the UK, and our Scholarships Department won the Times Higher Education inaugural Award for Outstanding Support for Overseas Students.

Personal tutoring

All students on courses of a year or more and who are registered for more than three modules will be allocated a personal tutor.

Your personal tutor will be there to support you from induction onwards, helping you to integrate into the University, academically and socially, at an early stage. They will be able to give you advice and support on academic and personal matters affecting your study, as well as developmental advice through regular individual and group tutorials.

Language support

Polylang is a University-wide programme through which you can study a language as a free choice module.

Personal advice and counselling

While most students overcome any problems with help from friends, family or a personal tutor, the University's free counselling and advice services are there if you need them.

International Westminster

With one of the UK's largest international student populations, the University of Westminster has plenty of experience in giving you the help and support you need to make the most of your time with us.

Study Abroad and Summer School programmes

Westminster's Study Abroad programme has been running for more than 15 years, and is one of the largest in the UK – each year we welcome hundreds of visiting students from universities all over the world.

If you are already studying outside the UK, the programme offers you the opportunity to study with us for one or two semesters, or for a period in the summer.

Sport and recreation

The University has extensive sport and recreation facilities, with a sports hall and gym at Harrow, a state-of-the-art gym at Regent Campus, and the University sports ground by the River Thames at Chiswick.

Students' Union

University of Westminster Students' Union (UWSU) aims to make sure you have the best university experience possible by providing a range of activities and support, from sports clubs to society groups, educational advice and social events.

Read the comments by our recent graduates.

Hey Matej!
How are you? How's the Uni? Well, I'm back in Colombia and I'm doing great! I'm producing 2 albums of important artists here, doing more documentary music for the Discovery Channel and I'm also teaching Advanced Mixing Techniques in Studio Atico, which is part of the Javeriana University. It's a new studio built by John Storyk and it's the second biggest in all Latin America! Once again, thank you for such an amazing year and educational experience!! Juan Salazar, MA Audio graduate 2010/11, Colombia

Dear Matej

How are you? Hope this finds you well :)

Whenever I send you an email from time to time, it feels like it's been ages since I left Westminster. Although it's been only 3 months since this year started, it seems that there are many things going on in Seoul. I have finally published my media-book, which consists of music, novel & illustrations, in limited edition and it's getting good attentions at DAUM, one of the largest portal sites in Korea. It's still surreal to have my book released, but has been such a fulfilling experience.

At the moment, I finished production for my upcoming album, which will be released via Universal Music Korea and am invited to perform in World DJ Festival, one of the largest music festivals in Korea. I am not sure if you have watched Flashmob with Black Eyed Peas' track 'I gotta feeling', but I was proposed to do flashmob with 200 or more World DJ Festival Crews. There will be few more guerrilla street performances in Seoul before WDF and this will be done during my performance in WDF as well - very excited :)

Apart from professional works, I am In the transition of my career as academic and am thinking to submit to professor position in tenure track for one of the top universities in Seoul.
Jin Suk Choi, MA Audio graduate 2007/8, South Korea

Hi Matej,

'It was great to see you and Mike at the graduation ceremony, none of us could have made it without you both and I am especially grateful for the support you gave me during what was a difficult summer (but ended triumphantly regarding the course).

Thanks to all of you for your help, understanding and wise/inspiring words. This didn't kill me so I'm sure it's made me stronger!'
Ian Roulllier, MA Audio graduate 2011/12, UK

Courses

Postgraduate